To our wonderful members.

Amid the latest furore surrounding RTE, you may have missed that Patrick O’Donovan also announced that the government has once again shelved plans for the introduction of a content levy. This is a huge blow for Ireland’s television and film industry. The content levy would compel the streamers to invest a portion of the profits they generate from Irish subscribers back into the domestic industry.

We have communicated our deep disappointment to the minister and will continue to lobby key decision makers on the topic.

Content levies are normal worldwide. They have transformed countless TV and film industries, created jobs, increased production budgets, and emboldened writers to tell big, ambitious indigenous stories that resonate nationally but also make waves on a global scale.

Levies also lead to an increase in wages. And let’s face it, the vast majority of Irish writers simply do not make a decent living from writing alone. This was evident in our last income survey, and as we prepare to release this year’s survey at the end of next month, please be assured that the data gathered will be vital to us as we continue to fight on a number of fronts for the better, fairer treatment of writers.

So, when the survey lands in your inbox, please find the time to complete it.

Enjoy the sunshine,

Ciarán

Ciarán Hayden

Executive Director of the Writer’s Guild of Ireland